KDs are designed/developed/inspired/mused/auto-suggested/indigested to make folks think; an especially uncommon experience among Democrats, Republicans, and jingoistic mainline denominationalists who continue to discourage dissent with their ever-threatening thought police.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Scratching The Surface of Judges

You may have
heard about the fellah who did the right thing and didn't try to beat a red
light by accelerating through the intersection.

A tailgating
young woman behind him was furious, honked her horn repeatedly, screamed in
frustration, gestured obscenely, and dropped the cellular and lipstick that she
had been juggling while keeping one eye on the road and the other in the
mirror.

While still in
mid-rant, she heard a tap on the window.

It was a very
serious-looking police officer.

He ordered her
out of the car, cuffed her, and then took her to the police station to be
fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

After a few
hours, another officer came to her cell, opened it, and escorted her back to
the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal
property.

He said,
"I'm very sorry for my mistake. I pulled up behind your car while
you were honking your horn, screaming, cursing, and making obscene
gestures. Having noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do?' and 'Choose Life' and
'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper stickers and fish emblem on the trunk, I
just thought someone had stolen your car."

Here's one that
happened to me.

A guy sported a
"Honk If You Love Jesus" bumper sticker on his back fender. I
honked and he gave me the finger.

It's like that
annoying question that pops into the mind every now and then, "If
Christianity were a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict me?"

Are we
identifiably His?

Judges reminds us
to be identifiably His for His honor and our own good.

Like Moses and Joshua
before them, the judges or reminders
reminded
people to remember God as the Source, Starter, Sovereign, and
Savior and respond accordingly even
if it means going counter-culture.

Again, like Moses
and Joshua before them, the judges reminded
people of God's role in their lives as Source, Starter, Sovereign,
and Savior, called people to repeat
behavior based on that belief, and retool fidelity to the circumstances.

I like how Tozer explained
faithful remembrance, repetition, and retooling: "The way to spiritual
power and favor with God is to be willing to put away the weak compromises and
the tempting evils to which we are prone to cling. There is no Christian
victory or blessing if we refuse to turn away from the things God hates...Even
if your wife loves it, turn away...Even if your husband loves it, turn
away...Even if it is something that has come to be accepted by the whole
generation, turn away...Every Christian holds the key to his or her own
spiritual attainment...if he or she refuses to hate sin and evil and wrong, our
churches might as well be turned into lodges or clubs."

The book reminds
us that we are never "caught in the middle" if we are really
His. We're either for Him or against Him. Jesus was commandingly
clear, "You cannot serve two masters...If you love Me, you will obey
Me."

The book features
judges or reminders who
rescued people willing to follow God as Source, Starter, Sovereign, and Savior:
"The Lord raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their
enemies."

The game plan was
simple.

As Tug McGraw
yelled to those Amazin' Mets of the late 60s, "You gotta believe!"

We gotta believe
and we gotta behave like we believe to be rescued.

It is the thread
weaving throughout Holy Scripture.

Trust God and be
blessed.

Conversely, lack
of trust makes it impossible to tap into His rivers of living water.

It's also
interesting to note in Judges that the heroes are quite human.

They could sin
with the worst of us.

That reality has
a way of reminding and rescuing us as well.

We are reminded
that God alone is Source, Starter, Sovereign, and Savior.

Only God is
completely trustworthy.

And when it comes
to rescuing, we need Someone a lot more divine than judges.